Rugged Radios finally gets an FCC Smack-Down

[mmckenna]

About time, too.

https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-20-1395A1.pdf

Multiple offenses under Part 80, 90 and 95 on several models. Type certifications, front panel programming, pre-programmed with frequencies in violation of type certification.

Rugged radios has been blatantly thumbing their noses at the FCC for years. In true FCC fashion, it takes them a while to act, but they do eventually act.

I love it.

 

[mmckenna]

Some good stuff from the FCC Citation and Order:

10 Rugged Radios blames many of its incorrect responses, which concerned the compliance status of radios the Company marketed to U.S. consumers, on misinformation provided by its device manufacturers or suppliers. (in other words, trusted the Chinese company to tell them it was OK)


14 Rugged Radios pre-programmed these models with amateur UHF and VHF frequencies, as well as certain frequencies reserved for the Maritime Services, Private Land Mobile Radio Services, and Personal Radio Services. (Rugged Radios knew better than this. They're just in it for the money. Hopefully the FCC will be relieving them of some of the ill gotten money.)


35 Specifically, Rugged Radios provided a pre-programmed frequency list for the model that included frequencies in those services, such as: 151.505 MHz (Part 90-Private Land Mobile Radio Services); 156.675 MHz (Part 80- Maritime Services); and 462.5625 MHz (Part 95-Personal Radio Services). See 47 CFR §§ 80.373(f), 90.35(b)(3), 95.1763(b).

 

[VFN05]

Long overdue, but like you said, it eventually happens.

 

[danesgs]

Like you said, its about the money. All imported radios should be sold "empty" or wiped. While many HAMs complain about programming a radio from the keyboard as difficult, many times it comes down to being too lazy to read a manual or too cheap to buy a programming cable and learning to use some software. On the flip side of all that is Kenwood and Motorola selling commercial gear that requires expensive and proprietary cables and not meant to be sold for Amateur use but HAMs buy them for the quality of the radio and superior audio. You get what you pay for. At the same time I like competition in the marketplace. How many folks are still getting big cable bills to watch a few channels a month when they can get OTA digital for free? They just would miss recording stuff that gets repeated at some point via local outlets anyway.

Everyone likes a good deal and more bang for the buck, but buying a diamond for a dollar you get a fake diamond for a dollar...

 

[Thunderknight]

All imported radios should be sold "empty" or wiped.

THIS!
It's crazy that radios are being sold at the consumer level with preprogrammed frequencies that are, in the US, public safety. It's a very reasonable conclusion that people will buy them having no idea about frequencies, allocations or licenses and turn them on, flip to "Channel 5" and start using them.

 

[buddrousa]

There are several more than just this one that needs slapped real hard.
What is crazy is how many here except and promote this crap.

 

[PACNWDude]

This companies product line was an issue for me while working for the oil industry. Like previously stated, many radios came pre-programmed for VHF marine frequencies (and other common use frequencies and band plans), but were not type accepted, or IS rated for use in hazardous atmospheres and areas. Co-workers and I would call them "generic" radios as they had that Beofeng/Wouxun radio look, and we joked that if you bought enough product, you could have anything stenciled onto them. Then we managed to get one from an end user and put it on an HP 8920 test set......very poorly made, but still a problem. Corporate policy had to state that you only used issued Motorola IS rated radios on site, for safety and reliability issues.

 

[nd5y]

Now they need to go after Amazon and the other on-line retailers.

 

[nd5y]

All imported radios should be sold "empty" or wiped.

When you first power them up they are usually in VFO mode (the ones with a display and keypad) so if they have pre-programmed memories it usually doesn't make any difference. The operator can still easily use any frequency they want without needing programming software.

 

[mmckenna]

There are several more than just this one that needs slapped real hard.
What is crazy is how many here except and promote this crap.

Yeah, the companies that cater to the off road racing community are hopefully on notice now.
This has been going on for a long time, and the staff at rugged radios knew it. Hopefully the fines are appropriate for the transgressions and the length of time they've been selling radios set up like this. Personally, I'd love to see them go bankrupt for this. No excuse for what they did other than 100% pure greed.

 

[wowologist]

This companies product line was an issue for me while working for the oil industry. Like previously stated, many radios came pre-programmed for VHF marine frequencies (and other common use frequencies and band plans), but were not type accepted, or IS rated for use in hazardous atmospheres and areas. Co-workers and I would call them "generic" radios as they had that Beofeng/Wouxun radio look, and we joked that if you bought enough product, you could have anything stenciled onto them. Then we managed to get one from an end user and put it on an HP 8920 test set......very poorly made, but still a problem. Corporate policy had to state that you only used issued Motorola IS rated radios on site, for safety and reliability issues.

Sadly I think they have enough..how to say this PC..um suckers coming in the door to actually send the FCC a GTFO response, when you can sell 2x25$ Baofeng's for ~300$. As you stated though they chose to re-brand/stencil ther own logo on the units, I think this will be ther actual unduing point, as soon as they did that and resold them they assumed liability, as in (1,in the PDF) it appears they removed the FCC id cert sticker/plate also and didn't actually send an end user notification of licensing requirement along with each unit.

These guys probably didnt do what Ritron/Jobcom did ~30years ago with the disposable radios on the old "DOT" freqs (green DOT, blue DOT, etc) You got a letter in each radio box that said YOU as the end user needed to acquire the appropriate license for what your use was going to be. No one did it, but the letter was ther non the less.

 

[KK6ZTE]

Yeah, the companies that cater to the off road racing community are hopefully on notice now.
This has been going on for a long time, and the staff at rugged radios knew it. Hopefully the fines are appropriate for the transgressions and the length of time they've been selling radios set up like this. Personally, I'd love to see them go bankrupt for this. No excuse for what they did other than 100% pure greed.

You should see the new eyesore they're building in my hometown. Ugh. Don't know how they're making so much money on just cheap chinese radios.

Hope the local news picks this up!

 

[buddrousa]

If you make 5 dollars a radio and sell 1 million to DA'S you make 5 million

 

[w4amp]

It's whack a mole. Five more companies will pop up and take their place.

 

[chrismol1]

If you zoom in, have a good eyes or blow up the pic you can see what their putting in the radios

Rugged Radios | UTV & Off Road Communication Equipment & Accessories

Rugged Radios

www.ruggedradios.com

151.625 is the channel 1 No wonder Im hearing much more crap on 151.625 these days

 

[chrismol1]

Hmmm what about this? There seems to be some trickery afoot

"Rugged Two-way radios operate on radio frequencies that are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). A license is required to transmit on these frequencies.

To ensure our customers are operating in compliance of FCC Rules and Regulations, Rugged Radios has licensed:
• 10 nation-wide commercial band frequencies (35 Watt)
• 60 area-specific commercial band frequencies (60-Watt)

These frequencies/channels are available to transmit for business, recreational, or race use. For a list of channels and areas licensed, please click here:
Under this FCC license, Rugged Radios' customers are authorized to transmit on Rugged brand mobile and handheld radios only, on the pre-programmed channels, in the locations designated by its license.

Rugged Radios | UTV & Off Road Communication Equipment & Accessories

Rugged Radios

www.ruggedradios.com

" Channels 16-22 have been previouslylicensed by other businesses, organizations,or government entities. Rugged Radios provides these as Listen-Only channels for recreational use " uhhh what??

https://www.ruggedradios.com/PDF/RuggedRadios-FCC-Approved-Channels.pdf

 

[nd5y]

If you zoom in, have a good eyes or blow up the pic you can see what their putting in the radios

There is a frequency list in the wiki from a 2018 document that was on their web site. I don't know if the list is current. They removed access to it sometime after that.

 

[prcguy]

PCI Race Radios is another one of these radio companies and I believe the founder or one of its employees sets up a base station on a mountain top within Mexico for the Baja 1000 and similar races. The base station is known as "Weatherman" and I doubt if they are legally using all these frequencies within Mexico. They set up the same frequencies covering some VHF marine and public service channels in the radios sold to off road racers.

 

[FFPM571]

This point they might as well just hand the FCC a blank check...

 

[PrivatelyJeff]

THIS!
It's crazy that radios are being sold at the consumer level with preprogrammed frequencies that are, in the US, public safety. It's a very reasonable conclusion that people will buy them having no idea about frequencies, allocations or licenses and turn them on, flip to "Channel 5" and start using them.

my dad did this. Luckily I was able get ahold of the radios and reprogrammed them to FRS.